


Snapshots: That's How You Know

by Rod13369



Series: That's How You Know [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22242385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rod13369/pseuds/Rod13369
Summary: A series of one-shots about the lives of Regina, Emma, Henry, Mara, and the other characters from "That's How You Know".
Relationships: Emma Swan & OC, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan, Henry Mills & OC, Regina MIlls & OC
Series: That's How You Know [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605115
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. The (Right) Full Name

**Author's Note:**

> I literally woke up with this scenario in my head this morning and had to put my morning routine on hold to write it down and post.

In hindsight, Regina doesn’t remember what the argument or lecture was about. All she remembers is Henry turning, getting ready to storm off to his room. Without thinking, she snaps, “Henry Daniel Mills, don’t you dare walk away from me!”

He freezes, and so does she. _I sound just like my mother._ The thought horrifies her, even as a small voice tries to reassure her that she is better than her mother, because Cora wouldn’t have stopped at just words, magic would have made an appearance—Cutting off that line of thought, Regina opens her mouth to apologize. Instead, she lets out a small, “Oof!” as her son barrels into her, arms wrapping tightly around her. _What the…_ “Henry?”

“Did you ever,” Henry says, his voice muffled by her shoulder, “say or hear something over and over and just _know_ it wasn’t right?”

Regina tenses, remembering how _long_ it took her to get used to the title of “Your Majesty”. She nods, although it takes a second for her voice to start working again. “Yes?” Confusion turns her answer into a question.

“Do you know how _weird_ it’s been all these years,” Henry continues, finally pulling back slightly to look at her, “that when I get in trouble and Ma full-names me she says, ‘Henry Daniel _Swan_ ’?”

Regina can’t help but laugh. Henry’s indignation and the absurdity of the situation combine to pull a proper, deep belly laugh from her. A moment later, Henry does the same. Still laughing, Regina wraps her arms around her boy and hugs him tight, glad beyond words to have her son back.


	2. Spring Break in Storybrooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place approximately three months after chapter 28 of "That's How You Know".

Winter break seems kind of flat after Regina leaves. Oh sure, Henry and Mara and Ma still go to the library and museum, skate, and do all the things they usually do. Yet the family seems… incomplete without Mom. Henry texts her almost every day, and he knows Ma does likewise, but it’s not the same. So it doesn’t come as a great surprise when Ma asks him about his plans for Spring Break only four days later. “I don’t know yet,” he says truthfully. “Maybe a ski trip with my friends?” He shrugs to let her know he’s not committed to the idea, because he has a suspicion about her next question.

“What about spending it in Storybrooke?”

Henry doesn’t hesitate. “Yes!”

******

_Spring Break, Monday_

“Welcome to Storybrooke!” Emma announces as she drives over the town line. She glances in the rearview mirror to see Mara straining against the straps of her booster seat, eagerly looking out the window.

“Where, Mama? Where?”

“Just a moment, Mara,” Henry replies. Emma looks over at him and chuckles: Her college-age son has put his phone down only to press his face to the window. “Remember, we have to drive through the woods for a bit before we get to Main Street.”

Emma’s heart swells. Henry has been a life-saver these past two months, always ready to answer Mara’s questions and tell her stories about his hometown. Emma has shared as much as she can, but she didn’t live there as long as Henry did, and it hadn’t felt like home until shortly before they’d had to leave. Ever since she regained her memories, however, she’s felt a pull for the town, and one resident in particular.

They crest the hill into the town proper, and Henry immediately starts pointing out various landmarks for Mara. Emma lets his voice wash over her, hoping it will calm her nerves. She knows Henry will be happy here, can _hear_ his affection for the place in his voice, but what about Mara? Sure, she loves Regina, but will she love Storybrooke? How will she handle finally meeting the rest of her family? Yes, normally she’s a very social kid, and she’s heard stories about this place and these people, but what if the reality is too much?

_Breathe, Swan_ , Emma admonishes herself as she turns on to Mifflin Street. _Don’t get ahead of yourself._ She relaxes slightly as the house comes into view. “Look who’s waiting for us,” she nods at the familiar figure as she turns into the driveway.

“’Gina!” Mara shouts. Henry, on the other hand, starts fumbling with his seat belt. The car barely stops before he flies out the door, meeting Regina halfway up the sidewalk and immediately wrapping her in a hug.

Emma can’t even be mad at him. She quickly unbuckles her own seatbelt and exits the car to open the door for Mara, who has already undone the booster seat harness. “’Gina!” Mara shouts again, running over to the others and wrapping her arms around their legs. Emma’s throat feels a little tight, all of a sudden, and her legs seem to have stopped working; all she can do is stand and look at her family.

Several long moments later, Regina disentangles herself from the kids, murmuring something to Henry. The young man nods and offers his hand to Mara, leading her in to the house. Regina shifts her attention to Emma. “See something you like, Detective?”

A laugh escapes, breaking Emma’s paralysis. “As a matter of fact,” she says, moving towards the brunette, “yes.” A shy smile steals across Regina’s face. She flushes as Emma’s arms wrap around her waist, although she doesn’t hesitate to wrap her own arms around the blonde’s neck. Emma glances at Regina’s lips and back up at her eyes, questioning. Regina’s smile widens as she leans in, meeting Emma halfway for the kiss.

Emma keeps it short and sweet, but only pulls back enough to rest her forehead against Regina’s. “Hi,” she breathes.

“Hi,” Regina replies, equally breathy.

“We’re here.”

“You’re here.” Regina closes the gap between them. This kiss doesn’t last much longer than the first before the kids reappear, eager to unload the car. Regina smiles again as she and Emma step away from one another, and Emma feels calm for the first time in days. _It feels good to be back._

*******

_Tuesday_

The first night passes in a haze of happiness and warmth as the four of them reconnect. The following day, Regina has both mayor and stable duties to attend to, so Emma takes the kids for a day in town. Per the plan she and Henry made, they won’t do much today; it’s not that big of a town, and they don’t want to overwhelm Mara. Today’s itinerary consists of Granny’s Diner, the library, and playing in the park. As they set out, Emma feels her nerves from yesterday return. Hopefully, this goes well.

At Granny’s, the appearance of the Swan family causes a slight commotion. Many of the folks present saw Emma when she briefly visited a few months ago, but the addition of Henry and Mara brings them flocking over, welcoming the young man back with hugs and handshakes and trying to say hello to the little one. Henry eagerly greets everyone. Mara, for her part, climbs into Emma’s arms and hides her face in her mother’s neck.

Thankfully, Mara relaxes once the trio are seated in a booth in the far corner. She’s quieter than normal, and insists on sitting in her mother’s lap, but at least she looks at Ruby and Granny when they come over to say hello and deliver mugs of cinnamon cocoa. After several long moments, she sparks a round of smiles when she insists on calling Granny “Granny Lucas” to distinguish her from Mara’s “real Granny”. The old wolf just chuckles, says, “She’s definitely your daughter, Swan,” and heads back to the counter to look after the other customers. Ruby hangs out for a little longer, chatting with Henry and making Emma promise to go out with her one night while she’s in town, before she, too, returns to work.

They take their time with their cocoa, both to let Mara relax a little more and so Emma and Henry can enjoy being back in a place with so many memories attached. A few more people come over to say hello, and Emma and Henry spend a little time catching up with each of them. When they do leave, Ruby gives each Emma and Henry a hug. She offers Mara a high five, but to the adults’ delight the child decides she’d like a hug, too. Granny calls her good-byes from behind the counter as the family departs for the library.

Mara doesn’t insist on being carried, but she does hold tightly to Emma’s hand during the walk. Henry spends the time pointing out different sights, telling stories about each. Mara pays attention to what he says, but doesn’t say anything. This behavior isn’t unexpected, but Emma still breathes a quiet sigh of relief when Mara visibly lights up as they enter the library. Henry notices and sends a small smile her way before his attention is grabbed by the figure making her way over to them from the circulation desk. “Belle!”

“Inside voice, Henry,” she chides gently, smiling. Henry offers an apologetic grin as he hugs the woman. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too.”

Belle pulls away after a moment to greet Emma with her own hug, then turns her attention to the child standing between them. “And you must be Mara.”

Emma looks down at her daughter and has to stifle a laugh at the star-struck look on the girl’s face. The character Belle has long been a favorite of Mara’s, so Emma had thought something like this might happen. A quiet _click_ pulls her attention to Henry just as her son lowers his phone. He smiles at her and turns the screen so she can see the photo he just took: a perfectly framed shot of his sister and the librarian. _Send that to your mom,_ she mouths at him, and he nods.

Mara, meanwhile, has found her voice. “You know who I am?”

Belle smiles and nods as she crouches down to the girl’s eye level. “Your mother told me about you and how much you love to read. Would you like to see some of my favorite books?” Mara’s voice deserts her again, but she smiles as she nods. Belle stands and offers her hand to the child, smiling wider as the girl takes it. “This way.”

Emma’s chest aches as she watches Mara follow Belle into the stacks. _She’s going to be just fine._

Later, in the Bug on the way back to Mifflin Street, Emma silently congratulates herself on how well today has gone. Ever since they walked out of the library, Mara has been back to her usual chatty, friendly self. She won’t stop talking about the books Belle showed her, particularly “Henry’s book”. _That_ had been a bit of a shock, when Belle pulled out the familiar brown leather, but overall Emma’s glad that the librarian found it. It’ll make answering questions a lot easier, although Emma does wonder what seeing the book again will be like for Regina….

Anyway, after the library, they’d eaten a picnic lunch in the park and then the kids had spent several hours playing on the playground. Mara had been introduced to Marco, August, Archie, and Pongo when the group happened by, and had instantly fallen in love with the aging Dalmatian. Emma had chatted with the men while Henry alternated between catching up with the trio and playing fetch with his sister and the dog. Finally, though, Emma had to insist her family leave; she, the kids, and Regina have dinner at the Charmings’ tonight.

Back at the house, Emma has the kids help put things away from their day out before sending them off to make themselves presentable for dinner. She follows them up the stairs, entering the master bedroom as Regina exits the bathroom, wrapped in a silk robe. She lets out a low whistle of appreciation at the sight.

Regina looks up, flushing slightly. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten.”

Emma shakes her head. “Just had a hard time pulling them away from the park.” She steps further into the room and closes the door behind her. No need to give the kids a show while she and Regina get dressed. “They were having fun playing with Pongo.”

“I saw.” Regina gestures towards her phone as she walks across the room. “Thank you for all of the photos. It looks like today went well.” She pauses next to Emma. “Are you wearing that tonight?”

Emma looks down at herself, evaluating. It is just a family dinner, but… “I’ll probably change my shirt.”

“Good idea,” Regina agrees, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She continues on to her armchair and the dress draped over it. Emma’s about to turn away when the brunette shrugs off her robe to start dressing. Emma pulls up short, something twisting inside her at how _easy_ this is, how comfortable. She watches until Regina gives her a rather pointed look. Emma gives her a mocking salute before heading for her bag and pulling out a nicer shirt. She finishes changing in time to help Regina with her zipper, taking the time to trail soft kisses up the other woman’s back as she does so. Regina hums in appreciation, turning once the zipper is done to kiss Emma on the lips. “Thank you, Detective.”

“You’re welcome, Madam Mayor.”

Regina’s cell phone starts chiming from the dresser. “I need to go get dessert out of the oven.”

“And I should probably check on the kids.” Emma sneaks another quick kiss before stepping away, loving the soft smile on Regina’s face as they separate. “Don’t want to be late.”

“We’d never hear the end of it,” Regina agrees.

Within twenty minutes of arriving at the Charmings’ loft, the last of Emma’s nerves vanish. Henry enthusiastically greets his grandparents, and immediately gets on Neal’s good side by helping the kid set the table. Mara gets a little starstruck again, meeting _the_ Snow White and Prince Charming, but it’s not as bad as earlier (thankfully, she doesn’t mention that Snow White is one of her least favorite Disney princesses). Snow and David are equally pleased to reunite with Henry and meet their granddaughter; Emma’s muttered comment of, “I feel like chopped liver,” earns a chuckle and a kiss on the cheek from Regina. Eventually, greetings done, everyone sits at the table. Food gets passed around, conversation flows, and Emma feels happier than she has in a long time.

******

_Wednesday_

Regina signs her name on the latest report from Planning and Zoning, sets her pen on her desk, and sighs.

Most days, she doesn’t mind the work that goes along with being mayor. She wouldn’t have run for another term if she did. Even on the days when she does nothing but beat her head against a metaphorical wall, she still enjoys the challenge and the satisfaction of knowing that the town continues. The fact that the townspeople have re-elected her numerous times in the last few years shows that, despite the occasional complaints, they think she does a good job.

Still, there are days where it wears on her. The stables often provide a nice reprieve. The physical demands of running the place balance out the administrative tasks she must perform both there and as mayor, and of course a good ride always does wonders for her mood. Too, she has an able assistant in Milo, and several of the more experienced riders chip in and help out as their schedules allow. Normally, between Town Hall and the stables, Regina feels complete.

This week, though, the work takes just a little more effort. As much as she loves both of her jobs, Regina would much rather be spending this time with her family.

A small part of Regina’s mind protests that she’s moving too fast. After all, Emma and the children (re-)entered her life barely six months ago. She and Emma have been officially dating for less than half that, and they’ve spent even less time in the same town or city. How is it that she can think of them as _family?_

Regina suspects, scratch that, _knows_ that at one point in her life that little voice would have had a lot more power over her, would have had her throwing up defenses that drove Emma off. Time, actually having friends, and the occasional session with Dr. Hopper, though, have given her the strength to face those doubts and move past them.

Regina has spent the last couple of months getting as far ahead in and delegating as much of her work as possible, to maximize her time with her family during their all-too-brief visit. That effort has paid off, allowing her to greet the trio when they arrived and make it to dinner last night. Even with all that effort, though, both of her jobs have a certain amount of daily legwork involved that simply cannot be completed ahead of time. Thus, for the second day in a row Regina finds herself at the office while her family are elsewhere.

Off to the side, Regina’s phone pings and vibrates several times in rapid succession. The sound pulls her out of her melancholy, and she smiles as she reaches for the device. Only a few people would text _that_ many times. A look at the screen reveals messages from not only Emma, but Henry as well. Regina feels her smile widen as she unlocks the phone and scrolls through the pictures the pair have sent, Henry from his harbor walk and hike with Mara and Emma from her day at the sheriff station with David.

Regina can’t wait to hear more about their days when she gets home that evening.

**********

_Thursday_

Mara Jade Swan loves fairytales and adventure stories. One of her favorite games has long been to make believe that she gets to go on an adventure of her own, one where she meets a real princess and maybe a knight, gets to use magic, and finds a new friend or two.

Mara also loves her family. She knows that it looks different than some of her friends’, but that’s okay. She adores Mama and Henry (some of her classmates’ siblings just sound _mean_ ), and Granny Ruth is just as good as any of the other grandparents that come to school events. Plus, she has Aunt Elisa and Uncle Keith, who are just _cool._ So what if she doesn’t have a daddy or another mommy? Her family is just fine as is.

At least, she used to think so.

Mara remembers, vividly, when Mama sat down and told Mara her real story. Back then, it sounded so exciting! Mara’s grandparents are a real princess and prince! Magic is REAL! Even the news that ‘Gina used to be the Evil Queen didn’t worry Mara too much; after all, that was a long time ago, and the ‘Gina she knows and loves is awesome. Plus, she raised Henry, which means she can’t be evil anymore.

Today, though, has made Mara question if adventures are all that great. Sure, Snow White and Prince Charming, her actual _grandparents_ , have taken Mara and Henry to some pretty cool places: The mines where dwarves (who actually aren’t all that small) search for fairy dust, and then the field where more dwarves tend the stalks that can produce magic beans (which is apparently super hard). So yeah, today’s mini-adventures were fun. But now, sitting in the backseat of an unfamiliar car with Henry and her new uncle (which just sounds weird, because Neal is only a couple years older than her) while Prince Charming (Henry calls him “Gramps”) drives them back to ‘Gina’s house, Mara starts to feel… well, she’s not really sure.

Maybe it’s being in a new place? After all, Storybrooke isn’t anywhere near as big as New York. Mara’s used to trees and green spaces surrounded by buildings. Here, it’s the other way around. Normally, she can’t see the sky very easily because the skyscrapers block her view. Here, that’s the trees’ job. There’s a lot fewer cars on the road, and no subway. When Mara and her family go walking in the city, they usually keep to themselves, only occasionally greeting others, and Mara feels like she rarely sees the same people more than once. In Storybrooke, it feels like they can’t walk two inches without seeing someone who knows them, who wants to say hi to Mama and Henry and meet Mara. It’s different, and maybe a little scary.

Back at the house, after the prince and princess and… is Neal a junior prince?... have left, Mama pulls Mara and Henry into helping with dinner. ‘Gina puts Henry to work chopping vegetables, and Mama and Mara work together to set the table. “You okay, munchkin?” Mama asks. “You’re awful quiet.”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?” Mara doesn’t know what to say. When she doesn’t speak, Mama continues. “Did you have fun today?” Mara nods. “Did you like spending time with your grandparents?” Mara freezes, and out of nowhere tears start falling. She barely registers what’s going on before Mama scoops her up. “Hey kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know!” Mara cries. More words come pouring out. “I miss Granny! I miss Aunt Elisa and Uncle Keith!”

Mama sits down, settling Mara on her lap and wrapping the girl in a hug. “Shh, shh. It’s okay to miss them, sweetie. I think this is the longest you’ve ever gone without seeing them. And we’re in a new place and meeting a bunch of new people. It’s okay to be overwhelmed.” Mara doesn’t really understand what that word means, but Mama’s voice is soothing. Mara burrows into her mother’s arms. “I know it’s a lot to take in. You’ve done so well this week, munchkin. I’m so proud of you.”

“I miss home,” Mara manages to get out, “but this is ‘Gina’s home and Henry’s home and your home and I think I might want it to be _my_ home and--”

“Whoa, slow down, kiddo. I can’t speak for the others, but I think of Storybrooke as only _one_ of my homes. Another one is our apartment in New York. But the most important home is the one with you and your brother and Regina.” Mara notices how Mama hesitates a second before she says ‘Gina’s name, like she’s not sure Mara would agree. “Doesn’t matter where that is as long as I have you. And you can have more than one home, too.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Mama shifts slightly, and Mara feels another set of arms around her. She looks up to see Henry smiling softly at her. “Family hug?”

Mara nods, but… “Where’s ‘Gina?”

Henry grins, showing his teeth as he calls, “Mom! Your presence is requested in the dining room!”

Mara lifts her head all the way up as ‘Gina steps into the dining room. “Really, Henry? I still need to remind you about using an inside voice?”

Mama laughs and Mara can’t help giggling a little. “Family hug, ‘Gina,” Mara says. “We need you.”

‘Gina freezes for a moment, but then she smiles that pretty smile of hers and walks over to crouch on the other side of Mama and wrap her arms around the three of them. Mara smiles and snuggles back down, happy to be with her family.

********

_Friday_

When Regina first suggested having Roland join the family today, Emma had been a little hesitant. A number of thoughts had flown through her head about why having Regina’s de facto stepson along might not be the best idea: Emma doesn’t know what Regina has told him, Roland might hold Emma responsible for Regina and his dad breaking up, Henry and Mara wouldn’t understand why the boy was around, the kids wouldn’t get along, it’s the Swan family’s last day in Storybrooke. Before Emma could say anything, though, Regina had continued, “He has a lesson at the stable Friday morning, so I’d like to introduce all of you anyway. I think he’d get along well with Henry and Mara—”

“Of course he can join us,” Emma interrupted, resolving to keep her doubts to herself.

Now, watching the three children playfully bicker from atop their horses as they ride along the edge of the woods near the stables, Emma admits, “You were right. The three of them do get along.” She looks over to where Regina rides next to her, their horses walking side by side.

Regina smiles. “I’m glad. And I’m glad you were finally able to make it here.”

“Me too.” From the moment Emma and her kids arrived at the stables, she has enjoyed watching Regina, noticing how relaxed the brunette is here. “You’ve got a great place here. I mean, I’m no expert on stables, but…”

Regina’s cheeks flush. “Thank you. It’s not easy some days, but it’s definitely worth it.”

Emma nods; she knows how much work Brooks and Angela put in at their place, and they don’t have nearly as much outdoor space to worry about as Regina does. “Good thing you have Milo.” She finally met Regina’s assistant today, and is honestly impressed at how well the barely-five-feet-tall young man handles the various tasks associated with running the place.

“Indeed.” The pair spend the rest of the ride in comfortable silence. Emma’s attention alternates between watching the kids, admiring the scenery, and watching Regina. Several times, she notices Regina watching her, too, and smiles whenever their eyes meet.

Eventually, they return to the stables. Milo approaches Emma as she dismounts, offering to help her with unsaddling and brushing off her horse. Emma immediately accepts. She almost asks if he can help her kids, as well, but then Regina starts giving Mara instructions and Roland offers to help Henry.

The six of them work together quite well, the experienced riders ably guiding the relative newbies through the necessary tasks. The kids continue to jabber away, now discussing their favorite Star Wars characters and creatures. Milo occasionally joins in, while Emma and Regina just trade smiles and focus on the job at hand. In a relatively short time all five horses are back in their stalls and receiving final treats from their riders. Scratching her horse’s ears one last time, Emma steps back into the central aisle and takes a look at her phone, checking the time. She should get the kids and get going; they need to pack, and she promised to make dinner tonight. They’ll need to stop at the store on their way back to the house…

An arm wraps around her waist. “Is everything all right?”

“Yup, just checking the time.” Emma turns her phone off and tucks it in her pocket, wrapping her own arm around Regina’s waist. “I think I’m going to round up the kids and head out. Do you want me to drop off Roland?” The question catches her off-guard even as she says it.

It surprises Regina, too, but the brunette smiles as she responds. “That won’t be necessary. Robin will be coming to pick him up here.”

A _whoosh_ suddenly sounds from the direction of the kids. Emma looks over to see Roland checking his phone. “Dad’s here,” he says, pocketing the device. “Nice to meet you,” he says to Henry, offering his hand to the older boy.

Henry takes it with a grin. “You too.”

When Roland turns to Mara, she wraps her arms around his waist. He looks surprised for a moment before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “See ya, Mara.”

“Bye Roland.”

Gently disentangling himself from the hug, Roland approaches the two women and offers his hand to Emma. “It was nice to meet you, Detective.”

Mimicking her son, Emma grins as she takes it. “You too, kid.”

Regina disengages herself from Emma to give the boy a quick hug. “I’ll see you for dinner on Tuesday.”

Roland nods against her chest before letting go. He gives them all a final wave and calls out a quick, “See ya, Milo!” before heading for the door.

“C’mon kids, we’re going, too.” Emma gives Regina a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you in a bit.”

“Yes, you will.”

Emma, Henry, and Mara stand at the front door, waving to the Charmings and Ruby as they pull away. Too soon, the car disappears. Emma’s chest suddenly feels heavy, and she thinks she’s actually moving slower as she motions the kids inside. Regina clearly senses something, because she asks Henry to get Mara ready for bed before walking over and wrapping her arms around the blonde. “What’s wrong, Emma?”

Emma wraps her arms around Regina’s waist and buries her head in the brunette’s neck. “It just hit me that after we leave tomorrow I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again.”

She can feel and hear the hitch in Regina’s breath. “I can’t say the thought hasn’t occurred to me, too,” Regina says, tightening her grip on Emma. “But we can still call and text, and have FaceTime visits.”

“Not the same,” Emma whines.

“No, it’s not,” Regina agrees, “but we’ll make it work, like we have up ‘til now. And you don’t leave until the morning. So we,” she gently pulls Emma up until she can look the blonde in the eye, “are going to go tuck in Mara and say good-night to Henry.”

“And what happens after that?”

“Well,” Regina’s eyes sparkle, “I’ve been working on a new spell. One that will let sounds _in_ to a room but not _out._ ”

Emma’s heart speeds up. “Oh really?”

“Really.” Regina leans in and kisses Emma hard, leaving no doubt as to her intentions for the rest of the night. Emma lets herself get lost in the sensation, vowing to make the most of these last few hours.

********

_Saturday_

“I’m gonna miss you, ‘Gina,” Mara says as Regina straps her into her booster seat. (Regina knows the girl can do it herself, but she asked, and how could Regina say no?)

“I’m going to miss you too, Mara.” Satisfied the girl is secured, Regina hugs her as best she can. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” the little one replies, her face still firmly wedged against Regina’s shoulder.

Regina laughs a little at the similarities between mother and daughter. She holds Mara for a moment longer before releasing her and pressing one last kiss to the blonde locks. Straightening up, she pushes the car door closed just as Henry pushes the hatch shut on the last of the luggage. “You have everything?”

“Yup.” Henry strides over and wraps her in a hug. “I’ll text you when I get back to school.” Emma and Mara will drop him off at the Portland airport on their way back to New York. He’ll catch a flight to Pittsburgh, where his roommate is supposed to pick him up and take him back to campus.

“Thank you.” Regina still isn’t used to hugging him when he’s so much taller than her, but it feels less strange than it did. She kisses his cheek, laughing when he pulls away with a mock-disgusted look on his face. He grins as he steps away, heading for the passenger seat. Regina turns back towards the house, wondering if she needs to go hunt Emma down, only to find the blonde standing on the sidewalk, apparently watching the good-byes. “I blame you for his bad manners.”

“You mean his sense of humor?” Emma walks over. “Thank you, I will take all the credit.” 

Regina rolls her eyes, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips. “If you can call it that.”

“You laughed, didn’t you?” Emma wraps her arms around Regina’s waist, and the brunette rests hers on the detective’s shoulders.

“Regrettably.” Regina’s smile widens, taking any sting out of her words. Emma opens her mouth, no doubt to fire off a snarky comeback, but Regina cuts it off with a kiss. Emma hums appreciatively. A few moments later, Regina pulls back, just far enough to rest her forehead against Emma’s. “Call me when you get home?”

“Of course.” Emma kisses her again. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Regina presses another kiss to her lips. It takes a considerable amount of willpower to break it off and step away, but she manages it. “Drive safely.”

“Scout’s honor.”

“You were never a scout.”

“Details, details.” Emma grins at her as she pulls open the driver’s side door. She leans over to kiss Regina one more time.

“Moms!” Henry complains from inside the car, which sets Mara off giggling.

Emma and Regina break apart, laughing. Emma winks at Regina before finally settling in the driver’s seat. Regina steps back as the Bug’s engine coughs to life (Emma has assured her many times that the car is up to the drive; Regina has kept her doubts to herself). She watches as the car backs down the drive, smiling and returning the waves of the children. She continues waving as the car reaches the street, laughing as Emma’s hand briefly appears next to Henry’s. She waves as the Bug pulls away, only stopping once the car is out of sight, already missing her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you and yours have been staying safe and healthy!

**Author's Note:**

> No idea when other snapshots will get posted, but this certainly isn't the only one. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
